Firearm-barrel-cooling mechanism.



I. C. STURGEON.

FIRE/IRM BARREL COOLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, |917.

Patented Jan. T, 1919.

I l E;

JOHN C. STURGEON, 0F ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

FIREARM-BARREL-COOLING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 7, 1919.

Original application filed December 22, 1916, Serial No. 138,330.Divided and this application led April 27, 1917. Serial No. 164,919.

To all whom z't may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN C. STURGEON, a-citizen ofthe United States,residing at Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Firearm-Barrel-CoolingMechanism; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable -othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon, forming part of this specification.

This application being a division of the application filed by meDecember 22, 1916, Serial No. 138,330.

` The improvements which form the subject of this application relate tofire-arms, and particularly to mechanism for cooling the barrelsthereof, and has for its object the more effective cooling of thebarrels of fire-arms by the use of air, than is accomplished by theair-cooling mechanism now in use. In accomplishing this result I secureto the barrel longitudinal radiating strips of highly conductive metalpreferably longitudinally corrugated, so as to present the maximumradiating surface to the action of air passing thereover, so secured tothe barrel that effective conductive contact therewith is at all timesmaintained regardless of any changes of temperature of the barrel. Theseradiating strips extend from the periphery of the barrel outward, andare inclosed by a metal shell open at its rear end, and extending beyondthe end of the barrel at its front end. I preferably secure theradiating strips to the barrel by makin longitudinal grooves in theperiphery 0 the barrel and firmly securing the inner edges of thelongitudinal radiating strips therein, so that no differences either ofthe temperature or expansion of the metals comprising the barrel and theradiating strips can, in any way, affect the conductive contact betweenthem.

A further object of my invention is to provide longitudinal arms securedto the muzzle end of the barrel to which conical deflecting disks aresecured within the shell covering the radiators, whereby a considerableportion of the gases of discharge deflected outward so as to produce astrong draft of air through the shell from the open rear end thereofover the radiators inclosed thereby. These and other features of thisinvention are hereinafter fully set forth and described and illustratedin the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure l, shows a longitudinal section partially in elevation, of a gunbarrel embodying my invention.

Fig. 2, shows an enlarged View of a transverse section of the same onthe line :c in Fig. l.

Fig. 3, shows an enlarged view of a transverse section of a modificationof my invention.

Fig. 4, shows an enlarged front end view in elevation, of my invention.

In these drawings 1 indicates a gun-barrel provided at its rear end withan interrupted screw thread 2 'by means of which it can be secured to agun-frame (not shown), 3 a metal shell open at its rear end andextending some distance beyond the muzzle end of the barrel In theperiphery of the barrel 1 as shown in Figs. l and 2, I make longitudinaldovetailed grooves 4 adapted to receive the properly formed inner edges5 of thin sheet metal radiators 6 of superior heat conductingproperties, such as copper or aluminum. These radiators 6 are preferablprovided with longitudinal corrugations substantially as shown in Figs.1 and 2, whereby the present the maximum of radiating su ace to the airpassing over them.

In Fig. 3 I show a modified construction in which I make radial grooves8 in the periphery of the barrel 1 of such width that the inner edges 9of longitudinal strips 10, of thin radiating metal, such. as copper oraluminum, can be inserted as illustrated in Fig. 3, and as copper andaluminum expand under heat approximately one-half times more than steel,any increase of temperature which will expand the barrel, will alsoexpand the edges 9 of the radiating strips 10 inserted in the slots 8,so that they will be firmly pinched and 55 passing from the muzzleof thebarrelare clamped by the slots 8, forming a complete conductive contacttherewith, so as to effectively conduct heat from the barrel.

Between the barrel 1 and the inside of the shell 3 I preferably providethe radiating strips 10 with corrugations 11, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

On the muzzle end of the barrel 1 I preferably secure a collar 12provided with arms 13 extending longitudinally outward in line with thebore 14 of the barrel, and to these arms I secure preferably a pluralityof conical disks 15 Within the end portion 16 of the shell 3 so that aconsiderable portion of the gases from the discharge 'of the gun will bedeflected outwardly by said disks, producing a strong suction throughthe shell 3 and thereby drawing a strong current of air over theradiators secured to the barrel, and withdrawing the heat therefrom. Theeectiveness" of the conductive contacts between the barrel and theradiators, the increased available radiating surface presented by thecorrugations therein, as well as the action of the conical disks 15 atthe end of the barrel, and the operation of the several parts of thedevice in correlation to each other, as hereinbefore described, it isbelieved render further description thereof unnecessary.

Therefore having shown and described my invention so as to enable othersskilled in the art to utilize the same, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a gun, a barrel having longitudinal grooves in its periphery,longitudinal radiators of thin conductive metal having theirinner edgessecured in said grooves Lacoste so as to maintain conductive connectionbetween the barrel and radiators under all changes of the temperaturethereof.

2. In a gun, a barrel having longitudinal grooves in the peripherythereof, longitudinally corrugated radiators of higher conductive metalthan that of the barrel having their inner edges so inserted in .andsecured in said grooves as to maintain a maximum conductive connectionbetween the barrel and radiators under all variations of the temperaturethereof.

3. In a gun, a barrel, arms secured to the muzzle end thereof parallelwith the axis of the bore of the barrel, conical disks secured to saidarms, and a shell open at both ends surrounding, but out of contact withthe peripheries of said disks.

1. In a gun, a barrel, longitudinal radiators secured to the peripherythereof, arms secured to the muzzle end ofthe barrel parallel with theaxis of the bore of the barrel, conical disks secured to said arms, anda shell open at both ends inclosing the barrel, radiators and disks.

5. In a gun, a barrel having longitudinal grooves in the peripherythereof, longitudinal radiators of thin conductive metal having theirinner edges secured'in said grooves so as to maintain conductiveconnection between the barrel and the radiators under all variations oftemperature, arms secured to the muzzle end of the 'barrel parallel withthe bore thereof, conical disks secured to said arms, and a shellinclosing the barrel, radiators and disks.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN C. STURGEON.

